Is slap fighting a legitimate combat sport or a dangerous, primitive public spectacle?

Cultures · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Power Slap, a promotion co-owned by UFC CEO Dana White, has ignited intense debate over athlete safety. While proponents argue it is a regulated sport requiring medical oversight, critics—including leading neurologists and lawmakers—warn of catastrophic brain injuries, calling the practice a primitive and inherently unsafe display of human violence.

Power Slap, licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, operates under specific rules: competitors trade open-handed strikes to the face, with strict prohibitions against flinching or tucking the chin. Matches typically last three rounds, with title bouts extending to five. If no knockout occurs, judges score the contest based on strike effectiveness and the receiver's recovery time. Despite these regulations, the sport has faced significant backlash since its reality show, Power Slap: Road to the Title, debuted in 2023.

The medical community has been particularly vocal. Neuroscientist Christopher Nowinski identified a 'fencing response' in a participant—a sign of serious brain trauma—while neurologist Nikolas Evangelou warned that rotational forces from head impacts can cause permanent brain disruption. Dr. Bennet Omalu, an expert on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, went further, labeling the sport 'primitive' and 'inconsistent with the intelligence of humans,' even suggesting that a participant could suffer catastrophic damage or death. These concerns prompted a Congressional inquiry into the sport's ethicality in February 2023.

In defense of the promotion, Dana White has argued that slap fighting involves far fewer head impacts than boxing, where fighters may absorb hundreds of punches per bout. Producers maintain that they prioritize athlete health through rigorous medical screening and on-site care. However, the controversy impacted the show's commercial viability; after its initial run on TBS, where it consistently trailed its lead-in programming in viewership, the network dropped the series. The promotion has since shifted its content to Rumble and YouTube, continuing to host events despite the ongoing scrutiny from combat sports athletes and public officials.

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